A Development Application (D.A.) will only be approved if the on-site treatment system is approved by the relevant state authority. Since 2004, new state approvals have required compost toilets to be certified to New Zealand and Australian standards AS1546.2. Therefore if you are building a new home we recommend you purchase one of our AS1546.2 certified compost toilets. If you are considering purchasing a waterless compost toilet to install in an existing home or for another purpose we also recommend that you purchase one of our certified products. The reason being that councils are increasing their inspections of homes and buildings to ensure that they have compliant systems.
At Nature Loo we recognize that many of our prospective customers do not intend to apply for council approval and just want a good value toilet which works reliably and without odour. We satisfy this need with our range of composting toilets which are not approved, but which can be easily modified in situ to become an approved toilet by adding or changing some components. The availability of these uncertified, relatively inexpensive, waterless toilets, which can be upgraded to a council approved composting toilet, is unique to Nature Loo.
The process of obtaining council approval is best determined by seeking the advice and regulations from your local council plumbing officer. This normally involves having a geotechnical engineer carry out a soil test and drawing up a site plan. Assuming your toilet is state approved, the council is normally more interested in what you plan to do with your grey water than with the toilet. Should you need help finding a geotech engineer please ask us. We have a list of geotechs who recognize the advantages of composting toilets – not all do.
For a possible grey water solution please consider our Nature Clear GWS10 system; the details of which can be found under Products. The council cannot refuse an application for an approved toilet unless there is a site specific issue such as proximity to a water course.
